Folded stationery adapted to be bound in book form



April 12, 1932. R FlTZ POWER 1,853,223

FOLDED STATIONERY ADAPTED TO BE BOUND IN BOOK FORM Filed Dec. 4, 1930 .4 27 3 252a I? 24424 4 27 26 3 7 F169 LL 4 1 FIG.4. F165. F166. F167.

AJiPOW Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES RICHARD FITZ POWER, OF HAMPSTEAD; LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 MORL ENT OFFICE. I

ANDIMPEY LIMITED, OF NORTHEIELD, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND v FOLDED STATIONERY AnAPrnn 1110 BE Bomvn In BOOK remit Application filed December 4, 1930, Serial No. 500,050, and in Great Britain December 16,1929, I

This invention relates to stationery, say in the form of paper usually supplied in long sheets or lengths either in the form of a roll, or a pack, inwhichthepaperis folded in a zig-zag manner in relationto its length.

In'modern accounting methods, particularly in connection with calculating or accounting machines, it is frequently desirable to preserve the paper document in a continuous length, as by this means the possibility of fraud, or the concealing of mistakes by introducing a new page in a book, is largely eliminated.

One object of this invention is to provide the paper, supply to a machine of this character in an improved form, particularly in such a form as to provide means whereby a paper sheet, or length, can be bound in book form and yet have the whole of the entries, which may be continuous visible for subsequent easy reference when needed.

A form of folding to which this invention is particularly applicable is known, and is commonly referred to as simple fan-folding; it consists in the provision of a continuous length of paper-it may be two or more lengths of paper v dealt with together and which is generally used as an alternative to a paper supply from acontinuous roll or rolls.

Hereinafter the term fan-folding will be used to describe a length of this folded paper, it being understood that the expression indicates folded in zig-zag fashion in relation toits length.

Taking a length of fan-folded paper and I the object being to bind this in book form so that written matter on any part of its surface is readable, and constructing the length of paper before folding with additional margin spaces on either side of the area to be written, typed, or printed upon, and'considering such margins as a'continuous length, portions are cut awaytherefrom at predetermined positions and partly slit upthe line dividing the writing area from the margin, so that when the length is folded into its requisite form for use, say in a machine, or otherwise, the slit part of the marginal ortions projects beyond the folded portion, forming lugs extending beyond the folds which can be usedfor binding purposes when it is desired to hold the folded portions in a cover. 7

In slitting up the marginal edges ustmentioned the arrangement is such that lugs are formed projecting from the margins inthe direction of their lengthat each fold ofthe paper containing the written matter, and owfold it isalways easy to open afold: when the paper is subsequently confined within the covers of a book, and to read the whole matter written thereon, because none of the writing AND ing to the projection of these lugs beyond the. 4.

space proper of the sheets enters between the binding ends of the cover...

In its simplest form there would simply be lugs projecting from the margins. at each fold which normally will come adjoining the binding edge of the. folded paper, and since the lugslneed to be isolated, a part-which is not otherwise wantedof the marginal edges may be cut away entirely, while part may be utilized by turning it back upon the marginal edges that are needed,the lugs being thus strengthened by means of an adhesive between the double layers thus obtained; by this means a double thickness of the paper is obtained for the projecting lugs for binding purposes; the lugs having been. thus formed can be suitably arranged in various ways to secure them'in a binder, for example, by means of holes perforated through their central zone for a post binder, or by slots for a thong binder, or otherwise.

' Alternatively, the lugs can be out either on" their inside .or outside edges, or on both edges, with grooves, which when brought together in, assembled form can be occupied by the movable postsof a. binder so as to be removable when the said posts are withdrawn from the said grooves.

Some modifications of the construction above described may be made, for example, instead of cutting out from the margin all the strip not required and using a portion of it only for reinforcing the projecting lugs, only a small portion of the margin need be cut away for reinforcing the lugs by ad hesive when turned back, and thecut away edge may be slanted, the remainder being left integrally attached to the writing area prl'ioper, and could be used for notes, or-the The transversely cut end may be slanted in such a case with advantage as being somewhat stronger. To allow of more freedom when. in the binding covers the slit may be made to extend beyond the folds of the main area.

In another modification the whole of the margins, except the particular pieces required for the lugs, may be left in position, and one lug may be cut with its integral attachment originating from one side of a folded sheet, while the corresponding lug on the other side of the writing area may originate from the adjoining sheet of a folded unit of the series, the same separation occurring in the succeeding units, it being understood that a pair of sheets folded on each other as between one free fold and the next is regarded as a unit.

In the case in which the binding apparatus is constructed with transversely movable binding posts entering horns, or recesses, in the sides of the lugs the cut out line adjoining a fold may be such as to produce the necessary recesses and horns where the lugs are divided from the main area.

The lugs may conveniently be slit somewhat along the dividing line between them selves and the main area in order to allow more freedom to the folded pages when bound in a cover.

It should be noted in this case that no adhesive is required in the production of the fan-folded sheet with lugs attached.

The invention is particularly adapted for use with an accounting machine, the paper strip being fed from a roll and the machine printing on the strip a continuous series of items. At the end of a predetermined time, for example a week, the strip is cut off and folded up in the manner described when it is then ready for binding in the file.

By these means it is impossible to erase any items from the account or to insert a new page, so that fraud is largely eliminated.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings where several embodiments of fan-fold strip according to the invention are illustrated, and where Fig. 1 is a plan View of a fan-folded stagionery pile showing one sheet thereof in ull.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same pile, and

Fig. 3 a perspective view of a portion thereof, showing clearly the binding lugs provided according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the form of stationery shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 prior to folding.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig.

4:, showing modified forms of stationery according to the invention;

Fig. 8 being a perspective view similar to Fig. 3 with reinforced lugs corresponding to those illustrated in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the stationery shown in Fig. 7 fan-folded into a pile ready for use.

Referring now to the drawings, but first more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, as usual with fanfold stationery a continuous strip or web of paper 1 of a lateral width suitable for the purpose in view, e. g. for a typewriter, accounting machine or book-keeping machine, is provided with a series of folds such as by being creased alternately at 2- and 3 to form pages 4 of substantially uniform area for the receipt of typed or printed matter, e. g. ac,- counts; the alternate folds 2 and 3 adapting the strip or web for ready folding into the fan-like pile as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 ready for use, the sheets on which matter is to be impressed being drawn one by one from this pile by the feed of the machine or by hand as a continuous web.

In contradistinction to the customary form of fan-folded stationery, however, the alternate folds 2 and 3 do not, in the construction illustrated as an embodiment of the invention, extend for the full width of the paper strip or web 1, which in the embodiment being described is provided at each end with shoulders 5 and 6 giving a border 7 to each longitudinal edge of the strip from which binding elements may be formed without interfering with the normal record area of the strip To form the binding elements,the strip or webl is slit longitudinally at intervals corresponding to each pair of sheets 4, these slits being identified by the numeral 8 in the drawings and serving to separate sections of the borders 7 from the main body of the strip, and thus form loose marginal portions free of the main body of the strip, the loose marginal portions on the modification, however, being attached at both ends, as shown, to the main strip 1.-

The separate portions of the border 7 may be folded as at 9 such as by a lateralcrease. the creases 9 being offset somewhat in regard to the creases 20f the main strip, so that on fan-folding the main strip 1 portions of the separate border 7 form projecting lugs 10 at each side of one edge of the folded strip 1. Each lug 10 is in fact of double paper thickness, corresponding to the two terminals of the separated portions of the borders 7 on each side of the crease 9.

It will be readily understood that the proiecting lugs 10 provide for the very convenient securement of an assembled mass of the folded stationery in a binder or cover, and to this end may be previously perforated as at 11 to provide apertures for the convenient receipt of binding posts or-thongs customarily provided on thelugs of the binders at present inuse.

by which the fanefolded strip 1 may be secured in a binder or cover only single thickness lugs 12 may be provided, the borders 7 7 not being continuous forthe whole length of the strip 1,.but being only located adjacent each alternate fold 2', and being cut away so that -onegend of the loose marginal portions thus formed is free, or completely detached from'the main body of the strip.

The appearance 'of'the folded stationery 'fo-rmed'from a fiat strip according to Fig. 5 is similar to-that illustrated inFig. 1, it being remembered that in this casethelugs 10 would only be of single thickness formed by the. free ended portions 12.

lVith such a construction the longitudinal slits here designated 14 would only need to extend from the terminal portion of the lugs 12 as far as the crease 2, but by extending the longitudinal slits slightly beyond the creases 2 additional facility of operationis achieved.

This extension of the longitudinal slots in the modification of Fig. 1 could also be made, as shown, adjacent each alternate fold 2 to provide the same facility.

In order that the lugsmay be formed of double thickness the free end portions 12 could be made of sufiicient length so that they may be bent over and secured, for example, by adhesive,to the fixed marginal portions of the sheets 4 as at 13, or, alternatively, separate strips could be pasted or otherwise secured to the free end portions 12 to reinforce the same.

Figs. 6 and 7 show modified forms of stationery also with the continuous borders shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the binding lugs in the case of Fig. 6 being designated 20, and being formed by cutting away a portion of each edge of the strip 1 at 21, folding it backon the portion designated 20 and securing it thereto by adhesive, the lugs20being inclependent of the web or strip 1 by reason of short longitudinal slits 22.

With this arrangement alternate sheets 4 are of the full width of the web or strip]. for the whole area, while intermediate sheets are somewhat narrower fora portion of their length. In this embodiment, in place of the apertures 11 semi-circular recesses 23 are shown on the inside edges of the lugs 20, this being forthe convenient engagement of movable anchoring bars, when such are employed. As shown in Fig. 6 the terminations 24 of the portions cut away at 21 are set angularly, but thesemay equally well be set square as inthe modification illustrated in Fig. 8, and as formed by the strip of Fig. 5.

Figs. 7 and 9 represent astill further modification in'which one of each pair of binding lugs project from alternatesheets-4, the: left Q hand lug designated 26 being-formed from a simple slit which leaves a portion projecting from below the crease 2 when thestationery is folded, and the right hand lug27 pro- 1 jecting from above such crease as clearly shown in Fig. 9.

It will be seen that with the embodiment of record strip, illustrated in Figs; 1 to 4, 5, 6 and 8, a double thickness of binding projection is provided for each double fold ofthe record strip 1 forming a sheet, and the total thickness of the binding projections of the fan-folded strip are substantially equal to the total thickness of the record sheet, this being a considerable advantage in bindingas it enables the covers of the binder to lie fiat on the pages of the book Without any special provision. r

Where single binding projections, such as,

spacing means. may be associated with the binder, so as to ensure that the covers lie flush when the fan-folded strip is bound.

By extending the slits by which the binding projections are formed somewhat within the area of the pages 4 formed when the record strip is folded, the manipulation of the folded strip in book form is facilitated and turningfrom one page to another com- I pletely exposes the required records.

It willbe noted that prior to the application of the records, the strip 1 may be in the form of a roll, inwhich case it would only be fan-folded after the records had been impressed thereon in order to permit of binding, and with such an arrangement the various points at, which thefold's were to occur would be creased or otherwise weakened, say by lines of perforations, the required apertures of slots being also provided in the binding projections during manufacture, so that on the record being applied to the strip no further preparation would be necessary to render it suitable for binding;

A further modification of the invention is the provision of an independent strip of material secured, as for example, by adhesive to the marginal edges adjacent alternate trans verse folds to form-loose marginal portions adapted, when the strip is folded,to provide projecting lugs as before.

Thus, according to the invention, a continuous record strip, upon beingfan-folded, provides a number of sheets in book forms, with. binding projections from the edges on one side of the folded strip by which the sheets may be bound without interfering with the record area. p

Constructions according to the present invention therefore provide permanent unalterable records by reason of the records being contained on a continuous strip or web, while the folded book form in which the/record strip is arranged combines convenient manipulation with maximum visibility and neatness in appearance.

What I claim is 1. A record strip comprising a continuous strip of material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets and provided at regular intervals along its length with loose marginal portions, said portions having lateral folds offset in regard to the transverse folds of the strip for adapting said marginal portions to form projecting lugs when the strip is folded on the edges on one side of the folded strip, so that the sheets may be secured in a cover or binder by said projecting lugs without interfering with the record area of the sheets.

2; A record strip comprising a continuous strip of material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets, the strip being slit longitudinally adjacent each longitudinal edge to provide loose marginal portions, said loose marginal portions having lateral folds offset in regard to said transverse folds for adapting when the strip is folded, said portions to form projecting lugs one one side of the folded strip for securing the sheets in a binder or cover without interfering with the record area of the sheets.

3. A record strip comprising a continuous strip of material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets, the strip being slit longitudinally and continuously between alternate pairs of folds and adj acent each longitudinal edge to provide loose marginal portions, said loose marginal portions having lateral folds offset from said transverse folds,-so that when the strip is folded projecting lugs are formed of double thickness on the edges on one side of the folded strip for securing the sheets in a binder -or cover in book form without interfering with the record area of the sheets.

4. A record strip comprising a continuous strip of material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets, the strip being slit longitudinally and continuously between alternate pairs of folds and adjacent each longitudinal edge to form loose marginal portions, said loose marginal portions having lateral creases offset from said transverse folds, so that when the strip is folded projecting lugs are formed of double -material thickness on the edges on one side ously between alternate pairs of folds and adj acent each longitudinal edge to provide loose marginal portions, said loose marginal portions having lateral creases offset from the 6. A record strip comprising a continuous strip of material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets, the strip being slit longitudinally and continuously between alternate folds and adjacent each longitudinal edge to provide loose marginal portions, said loose marginal portions having lateral creases offset from the trans verse folds, so that when the strip is folded projecting lugs are formed of double thickness on the edges on one side of the folded strip, said longitudinal slits being of a length equal to the length of each sheet when folded plus the length of the projecting lugs and being extended adjacent alternate folds, and said projecting lugs having holes for engagement with a binder, whereby the sheets may be secured in said binder without interfering with the record area of the sheets and manipulation thereof is facilitated.

7. A record strip comprising a continuous strip of material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets, the strip being slit longitudinally and continuously between alternate folds and adjacent each longitudinal edge to provide loose marginal portions, said loose marginal portions having lateral creases offset from the transverse folds, so that when the strip is folded projecting lugs are formed of double thickness on the edges on one side of the folded strip,

said longitudinal slits being of a length equal to the length of each sheet when folded plus the length of the projecting lugs and being extended adjacent alternate folds, and said projecting lugs having recesses formed on the edges thereof for detachable engagement with a binder, whereby the sheets may be detachably secured in said binder without interfering with the record area of the sheets and manipulation thereof is facilitated.

8. In a record strip, comprising a strip of material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets, loose marginal portions along each longitudinal edge formed by cutting away the strip at each margin adjacent alternate folds so as to leave the cut-away edge free of the main body of the strip, said loose marginal portions having lateral folds offset in regard to said transverse folds, for folding said marginal portions back on themselves and securing them to the marginal edges of the sheets, whereby when the strip is folded a pair of projecting lugs of double material thickness are formed on each of the edges on one side of the folded strip for securing the sheets in a binder or cover Without interfering with the record area of the sheets.

9. In a record strip, comprising a strip of material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets, loose marginal portions along each longitudinal edge formed vby cutting away the strip at each margin adjacent alternate folds so as to leave cut-away edges free of the main body of the strip, said loose marginal portions having lateral folds offset in regard to said transverse folds for. folding said marginal portions back on themselves and securing them to the marginal edges of the sheets to form, when the strip is folded, a pair of project- I in 111 s of double material thickness on each of the edges on one side of the folded strip and said projecting lugs having recesses on the edges thereof for detachable engagement with a binder, so that the sheets may be detachably secured in said binder without in terfering With the record area of the sheets.

10. A'record strip comprising acontinuous strip of'material having a series of transverse folds for folding the strip into sheets, said strip adjacent alternate folds being slit longitudinally and transversely above the associated fold adjacent one margin and below said fold adjacent the other margin to form, when the strip is folded, a pair of projecting lugs of single material thickness from each edge on one side of the folded strip, so that the sheets may be secured in a binder or cover without interfering with the record area of the sheets.

- 11. A permanent record strip comprising acontinuous strip ofmaterial having a series I of transverse folds extending from a point spaced inwardly of one edge to a point spaced inwardly of the other edge, said sheet having longitudinal slits at the end of each of said folds defining permanent marginal binder at- 1 tachment lugs.

12. The structure ofclaim 11, in which the longitudinal slits intersect said folds at the ends thereof.

13. The structure of claim 11, with marginal notches spaced from and intermediate said transverse folds.

14. The structure of claim 11, with transverse slits associated withbut longitudinally spaced with respect to said transverse folds extending in from each edge to said longitudinal slits.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RICHARD FITZ POWER. 

